Migrant workers head home again out of lockdown fears

New Delhi: With the rising number of Covid cases, migrant workers have started going back home in a desperate bid to not face a similar situation like they did in 2020 when the Central government announced a country-wide lockdown. At Anand Vihar Railway Station a crowd seemed tensed to get at the platform so that they can catch their trains. While many were travelling with family, groups of migrant workers were waiting for their trains.

Amit Kumar, a resident of Bihar is waiting with Munna who hails from the same district as him. Both are travelling in a group of five and are waiting for their trains at Anand Vihar Railway Station. "We went to Ladakh last month in search of work but have to go back home as we have stopped getting work," Kumar told Millennium Post.

The group does wall plastering work and have no source of income or work at the moment. "We ourselves go and find work at various places," he added.

On asking whether Covid was the major reason they were going back home, Kumar refused and said "there was no point staying there".

Hariba Lal, who hails from Bihar's Natihar zila is also on his way home. He sat waiting at Anand Vihar Railway Station. On asking whether it was the fear of lockdown that was making them leave the city, Lal refused. He said it was the month of harvest back home which is why he has to leave. "It is not due to Covid I am leaving but we have to start the harvest cutting work soon," he added.

According to railway officials at the station, the number of people going to Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, in the last couple of days, has increased two-fold. "There is a chaos-like situation mostly because people are travelling without tickets. They want to go back home as soon as possible and do not wait for the reservation of their tickets," a railway official said.

He added that this has made their work further difficult as most of the people refuse to coordinate as well. "It is due to Covid scare that they are leaving. They are also not at fault but at least book tickets and travel," the official added.

Vikas was travelling to Bihar as he had an SSE exam on Friday. However, he was asked to deboard the train as he was travelling on a ticket in his relative's name. "I am in a desperate condition at the moment and have an exam on Friday. The railway police and officials have refused to coordinate. I had a ticket and was still asked to de-board. It was because of last-minute changes that I was travelling on my relatives' ticket," he added as 20 other people, mostly migrant labourers sat down with no idea how to reach home.